


Levamentum

by reina



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, F/F, Fluff, Freeform, Humor, Mild Language, Mildly Dubious Consent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-05
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2017-12-31 14:22:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1032719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reina/pseuds/reina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She finds comfort within a woman who doesn't even realize she's offering it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This would be my first Swan Queen fanfiction. I began writing this months ago and just recently found it in my drafts. I rarely actually post my stories so this is a bit nerve-wracking for me. I hope you enjoy it and let me know if you would like me to continue. I'd really appreciate it.  
> This takes place in an alternate universe where most of season 2 did not happen. We can say that the dinner invitation in The Cricket Game occurred, but the part where Emma accused Regina of murdering Archie, and breaking her little heart with the "who you will always be" trash that came flying out of her mouth, did not occur. Instead the Queen, Emma and the Two Idiots joined forces and defeated Cora all together, preventing Cora from derailing Regina's redemption.

Regina steps into the living room, trailing after Henry with a hopeful glimmer in her eye. She smiles at his gasp and moves to sit down on the sofa. Emma moves in behind them, not knowing if she should stay or leave.

"Cool!" Henry lets out. "You bought me an Xbox!" Excitedly rushing over to the bundle of electronics, he glances back at her. She gives him a nod and relaxes, acknowledging Emma, as the blonde relents and decides to sit down next to her with a smirk.

"What?" Regina can’t help but ask, irritation seeping into her tone.

"I know you're relentless but I didn't expect you to resort to bribing him back," Emma quips. Regina rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, turning back to Henry as he lays out the instruction manual, his eyes roaming over it quickly. She regrets not asking anyone to set the xbox up for her prior to Henry's visit. However, she doubts that she could have persuaded anyone to come into her home and help her set up something that could possibly take more than an hour. No one in town could trust her; not even after she had assisted them in vanquishing her vile mother, who for a while had been manipulating her to gain her trust.

"Sorry… I didn't really mean it like that," Emma blunders, taking Regina's silence as a sign that she’s hurt the older woman. In her defence, she wasn't really used to a vulnerable Regina. Regina shakes her head, opening her mouth to reply when -

"Mom, can you help me with this?" Henry asks. Emma quickly looks over, however Regina only looks down, knowing he isn’t directing his question to her. "Mom," she hears him repeat, and she finally looks up, meeting his eyes. Henry looks at her impatiently as a smile slowly spreads across her face. 

"Yes. Of course, dear," she finally responds, getting up and making her way over to him. She runs a hand through his hair carefully, hoping he won't flee and sighs in content when he doesn’t flinch. She kneels down next to him, awkwardly fidgeting in her grey dress. She looks at the instruction sheet with furrowed brows, dutifully reaching for the supply cord. After they manage to find a suitable place for the console, Regina shuffles to look behind the flat screen TV, searching for the appropriate place to plug in the connectors. After what feels like forever, she feels a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she sees Emma grinning at her. 

"Let me…" she says, holding out her hand. Regina shakes her head. 

"No. I can do it," she states, turning back to the source of her frustration.

"Come on," Emma urges, tugging on her arm now. Regina almost snaps. How dare she touch her like that, as if they are some sort of good friends, after everything… exactly, she chastises herself, after everything, they'd formed a certain level of comfort with each other. As much as it is forced at times, she finds herself almost content in Emma's company. Regina stands up, shoving the wires into Emma's hands and standing back with her hands on her hips. Emma bends over, connecting the connectors to their respective ports. Regina idly lets her eyes roam over Emma for the first time since she’s entered her house, her sole focus had been Henry at their arrival, and she only now notices that even after everything that had happened, nothing about Emma seemed to change, to the naked eye at least. She knows that Emma had changed. Only because of Henry of course, which was one of the only things that had kept her from burning down Mary Margaret's apartment and taking her son back. That and her redemption, of course.

Emma straightens up and looks back at Regina, giving her a small smile in form of a peace offering. The brunette smiles back quickly, looking away, over to Henry. He sits grinning on the couch, staring at the cover of one of the many games she’s bought him.

"I want to play this one first!" Henry grins over at them. Emma strides over to him and plucks the game from his hands, flipping it over. 

"Racing?" Emma scoffs. "I'm so gonna beat your asses with this one."

"Miss Swan! Language!" Regina gawks, mortified that her son has been spending months with this potty-mouthed woman. So much for change. Emma has the decency to look a little embarrassed and she mutteres a small apology before walking over to the console and popping the game in. After shaking off her pissed off demeanour, Regina smiles at the fact that Henry has chosen a multiplayer game instead of one where he would only sit alone and she would have to resort to talking with Emma alone, or vying for a little bit of attention over the games she’s bought him. Henry grabs one of the controllers and pats the spot beside him for Emma to sit down. Regina bites her lip in realization that he wouldn't be playing with her. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she sits down on the small arm chair, away from the pair of equally excited people. She hadn't taken Emma for a gamer. But then again, the woman wasn't exactly the most mature person she'd ever met. 

"What? Are you scared of getting your butt whopped?" she hears Henry say over the music of the introduction. Regina shakes her head, colour slightly draining from her face. She knows that Henry must know something about the proverbial war that had taken place in Storybrooke, of course he knows, but she didn't know to what extent, or even how the Charming's had painted her in his eyes, once it was all over. No doubt they said something disgustingly optimistic about her redemption, or else he wouldn't have been here. For that she felt a little grateful. But at the same time, she knows it has something to do with the woman currently staring at her.

"Yeah, 'Gina. Why don't you sit down over here so we can show you how it's done," Emma taunts. Regina looks over at her sharply. Her glare has no effect as Emma only quirks an eyebrow. 

"It's not that hard," Henry shrugs, looking back at the screen. Regina smiles and sits down on the other side of Henry, putting her arm around the back of the sofa to run her fingers through his hair.

"I think I'm okay," she says softly. 

"Seriously?" Henry asks, with an irritated look on his face. He looks like Emma in that moment, Regina realizes, and she feels a sharp tug at her heart.

"Okay. I will," she relents. "For you," she adds. Henry beams, pulling away from her, only to bring back another controller, placing it on her lap.

 ~

After an hour, or possibly two, the former Evil Queen has finally gotten the hang of playing Burnout and has been calling out for revenge as her son's race car slams into her's, causing her blood red car to spin out and crash into oncoming traffic.

"This is ridiculous! I was in first place," she almost whines. "That's the last time you do this to me," she states, as her car regenerates at 5th place. She hears Emma cackle as a yellow car zooms past hers. 6th place. Damn it all to hell, she thinks angrily, pressing harder on the accelerator button. 

"Told you we'd whip your butt," Henry laughs as he throws his hands up in the air, his controller dropping on Emma's lap. He stands up and turns towards his two mothers, making mock cheering sounds, fists in the air, as the screen behind him declares him the winner. Already missing his presence beside her, Regina huffs but she can’t hide the smile on her face. Chancing a glance over to Emma, the blonde sticks her tongue out. Regina narrows her eyes.

"Don't even start. You only beat me by one place."

"5th is still better than 6th," Emma smarts. Regina rolls her eyes. 

"Child," the brunette grumbles. The woman beside her only grins. 

"Oh man. I need a drink," Henry sighs, stretching out, and walking out of the room. "Mom! Do we have orange juice?" he calls from the kitchen. Regina grins at his use of 'we' as if he still lived with her.

"Yes. But it's cold! Don't drink it too fast," she cautions. She looks back over at the blonde and take a hesitant breath. "Do… do you think he could stay here tonight?" she asks, much more quietly. Emma's eyebrows shoot up.

"Uh… umm…" Emma starts, an expression of unease on the girl's face. Regina can just see the gears turning in her head. 

"Never mind," she quickly interjects, turning away from the blonde. "I shouldn't have asked." "I don't see why not," she hears. "He's your son too." Regina looks back up, an expression of surprise clearly written on her face. Emma smiles hesitantly. "I don't want to keep him from you," she says, her tone much softer this time. 'But that's exactly what you're doing,' Regina wants to say. 'You and those two idiots that you're crammed in that hole of an apartment with.' However, she has learned her lesson this time, and chooses not to snap at the birth mother of her son. Their… son. 

"Thank you," Regina replies, giving her a small smile. "Perhaps, you would like to stay as well?" she asks, realizing that just because Emma would allow this to happen, it didn't mean that Snow or David would be comfortable with this agreement. She doesn’t know why she suddenly cares what Snow and David would think, but she knows it had something to do with pleasing the woman beside her. She watches as Emma's face flushes a light shade of pink before she eloquently shrugs. "I would think that your… parents wouldn't want you to leave him alone with me," she adds a bit bitterly. Emma laughs. 

"No, probably not," she agrees.

“Well, then. I'll go ready the guest bedroom," Regina mumbles, shaking away the vulnerability she feels in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like that Emma always manages to make her feel the way she did before she was ever The Queen, before she’d lost… everything.

"Do… do you want some help?" Emma asks, standing up. Regina shakes her head, already making her way to the stairs. 

"I don't need your help changing sheets, Miss Swan," Regina counters. Emma rolls her eyes, following the brunette anyway. Regina turns around to look at her curiously. 

"I wasn't asking if you _need_ it. I was asking you _want_ it," Emma says with a small smile. Regina's lips part, her retort stopped short by the smirk forming on the other woman's pink lips, obviously picking up on the double meaning behind her words. For a fleeting moment it’s like her brain misfires and she forgets what she had even decided was worth arguing over. 

"What?" Regina croaks out before she can comprehend she has even let anything slip. At that point, Emma's smirk only grows wider, more mischievous. 

"Do you want it, Regina?" Emma repeats herself, her eye-brow quirking upwards, making a blush form on the older woman's face. The blonde must hear the quick intake of breath before Regina responds.

"No." At that, she spins around on her heel and makes her way up the stairs, as poised and as regal as ever, feeling the blonde's eyes boring into her back… and maybe even a little lower. She peeks over her shoulder as she reaches the top of the stairs, catching the way Emma's eyes snap back up to look in to hers. Definitely lower. Her eyes narrow and she musters up her own smirk, adding a sway to her hips as she walks down the hall deciding to get ready for bed first. They are playing with fire, she thinks, but when has she ever tried not to get burned?


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first sleepover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put up the second chapter, even though I was only going to do it on Tuesday, because I happen to have the patience of a hamster.

Just as Regina tucks in the final sheet, she hears the door opening to reveal a grinning sheriff.

"Honestly, Miss Swan," she begins, her eyes automatically rolling. "You hardly seem to understand the basics of human communication." She feels the blondes sweeping gaze and suddenly regrets changing into her nightwear.

"I think I understand it just fine, thanks," Emma answers, her smile unfaltering. "Plus, this is my room for the night."

"It won't be if I kick you out," Regina mutters, gritting her teeth. She hears a hum and the shuffling of Emma's socked feet as the girl makes her way over to the bed. Plopping down unceremoniously, and laying her head down, she hears the girl snicker.

"Right. And have Snow White and Prince Charming banging on your door, demanding you release Henry from your clutches?" she snorts. The brunette crosses her arms in response. "Besides, I already texted her to let her know we're staying for the night. She's not too happy," she says, her lips pulling into a frown.

"Where's Henry?" Regina asks, because she wasn't particularly fond of talking about Snow White and her perfect little family. She still likes to pretend that when Emma and Henry weren't with them, the blonde and her nemesis are still just roommates. Not that Henry's bloodline matters when it comes to loving him. However, the blonde is a different story. Emma hardly ever reminds Regina of the infamous True Love couple. She lacks their irrational optimism and cut and dry views on good and evil, which is something that Regina’s come to really appreciate. 

"Decided to have another go at beating his top score."

"Hm…" she hums, because she has nothing to properly respond with.

"So… what have you been doing around here anyway?" Emma asks, as she turns her head in Regina's direction.

"Reading, sketching, learning new recipes, among other things," Regina replies honestly.

"Not apple related recipes, right?" Emma jokes. Regina sighs, still not entirely forgiving herself for accidentally poisoning her own son. "Hey… you know if you're bored, we can… hang out or something. It's not like you're on house arrest or anything."

"I'm not fond of having to worry about someone beheading me when I want to cross the street."

"As if _you're_ scared," Emma scoffs.

"No. But _you_ try walking around and having people glare daggers at you from time to time. It's… unnerving." She chances a glance at Emma’s face, not used to revealing that yes, she might actually care about what people thought of her. She’d never had this problem before. Before Emma had arrived, she didn’t have to worry about the citizens of Storybrooke’s opinions, and before she’d cast the curse, she didn’t care… after a while. She’d cared at first, of course she had, her whole life she’d just been living up to other peoples’ expectations, her mother’s, the King’s and lastly the Kingdom, but after everything she’d become blinded by rage and the only thing she cared about was revenge.

"Not like you didn't do that to me all the time," Emma says, crossing her arms. It really doesn't make her look intimidating, considering that she's laying down and Regina is the one looming over her. Regina shakes her head, frustrated, but she can tell that Emma’s only teasing her.

"That's a completely different situation.”

"Why?"

"It's easier to deal with one person hating you. It is not as simple when it's an entire town."

"Guess you're right," Emma admits, looking thoughtful.

"Of course I'm right," Regina grumbles. 

~

Regina's eyes flutter open, only to see that it's still dark out. She sighs quietly to herself, upset that her sleeping patterns only seem to be worsening over time. She stretches out in bed, almost cat-like, when she feels a weight pressing down on her left leg. That's when she remembers that, after tucking in Henry, she had returned to Emma's room and they had talked well into the night, mostly about Emma's home-life. She really wasn't surprised when she found out that Emma felt slightly uncomfortable living with two people who were her parents and happened to be around her age. 

"I just… don't know how to talk to them sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I've dreamed about this all my life, but right now, I feel like I need some space. And that's really hard in Mary - my mom's small apartment. Guess it's kinda nice to be away from it all for a night," Emma had said, looking up at her with a timid smile. As it turns out, the girl was pretty open about her thoughts when she was drowsy. Regina had only nodded in response, not knowing what to say in order to make her feel better. What had surprised her the most was that she had actually found herself _wanting_ to make Emma feel better.

Judging from Emma's leg draped across hers, she must have fallen asleep while they had been talking. However, as much as Regina hates to admit, she had been the one that had made herself more comfortable by crawling under the covers. It wasn't as if she was going to sit, hunched over uncomfortably, if she was made to sit through endless hours of Emma's babbling. She looks over at the digital clock on the nightstand, observing that it is only three thirty-one in the morning, meaning that she's only had around three hours of sleep. Maybe if she went back to her room, she could sleep more. Unfortunately, she didn't have the motivation to move. She turns her head slowly in Emma's direction, seeing that the girl is sleeping on her stomach, with her head almost buried underneath a pillow. Emma's lip twitches in her sleep and Regina has to resist the urge to reach out and soothe it. She wiggles her hips, burying herself deeper under the covers and resigns from leaving. The movement only causes Emma to stir, groaning a little. Then there's an arm around Regina's waist, which is the most contact she's had with anyone in the past year, and she immediately tenses, rousing Emma from her sleep.

“Regina?” Emma mumbles quietly, confusion clouding her face. Regina offers her a forced smile and moves to push the younger woman's arms away from her waist. "Mm… sorry," she says more clearly this time. Emma doesn't question the brunette’s presence, though she does pull her limbs away, shifting over to her own side of the bed. Regina lies still, waiting for Emma's breathing to even out, but instead she hears her speak.

"You fell asleep on me," Emma says, her voice lacking any accusation. 

"I would think it was the other way around," Regina counters, her lips pulling up in a smirk. She hears a huff from the other side of the bed.

"I didn't mean _literally_ …"

"Figuratively. I know. I'm sorry," she says, because even if she tries to convince herself that Emma's stories don't interest her, they do.

"S'okay… And I'm sorry for falling - well actually I fell asleep over here but I must have… you know… like moved or whatever. I'm not a cuddler… usually. Just sometimes." Emma's voice is clear now, and Regina just smiles as she hears Emma sigh in frustration. Soon, she finds herself giggling and feels Emma's eyes burning holes in the side of her head. She turns over to find Emma mustering up a glare but a hidden smile on her lips. She kicks out lightly, hitting Regina's calf. Regina's giggles cease and she holds back a full blown laugh as she wiggles her fingers, a quick spell flowing out of them. "Ouch! Fuckin' hell! You pinched me!" Emma gasps.

"I did no such thing," she replies, holding her hands up in mock surrender. 

"Yeah, you did! With your witchy-voodoo stuff," Emma accuses. Regina holds back another giggle and she can’t believe she’s even _giggling_ in the first place. It must be sleep deprivation, she tells herself.

"Go to sleep."

"Why I -"

" _Sleep_ ," Regina stresses and she turns over, her back to the blonde.

"Hmph." She feels the bed shake, indicating that Emma has done the same with a lot less grace.

Somehow, Regina finds herself dozing off again.

When she wakes up the next morning, Emma's on her side again, their legs tangled together and her head nestled in locks of blonde at Emma's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't actually know the span of a hamster's patience.)


	3. Chapter Three

They don't talk about it the next day. In fact, they don't talk for a week. It's only when she hears the vibration of her phone does she even remember that she isn't supposed to crave Emma's presence. 

**Emma Swan 5:43 P.M.**  
I want to jump off a bridge.

**Regina Mills 5:45 P.M.**  
Why? Did something happen?

**Emma Swan 5:45 P.M.**  
No. Just being dramatic.

**Regina Mills 5:46 P.M.**  
I thought that was my job.

Regina hits send with a smile on her face and catches herself biting her lip in anticipation for Emma's response.

**Emma Swan 5:47 P.M.**  
Maybe you're rubbing off on me ;)

Regina rolls her eyes, a timid sort of joy bubbling up inside of her. She doesn’t know where this feeling of comfort and acceptance is coming from but she doesn’t want to fight it. It’s almost _easy_. And she’s never really had easy before, but she craves it now. 

**Regina Mills 5:48 P.M.**  
Good. Perhaps you'll learn a thing or two about behaviour.

**Emma Swan 5:48 P.M.**  
I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. Maybe we should have another sleepover.

Regina stares at her phone, her mind refusing to think. She was always aware of her own attraction to her son's biological mother, but she had never thought of _acting_ on those attractions. And she sure as hell never entertained the idea of Emma actually reciprocating on those feelings. Pause. Not feelings, per se. Just… desires.

**Regina Mills 5:49 P.M.**  
I don't think that would be best.

So much for easy. Regina pushes the phone into her pocket and returns to her study where she'd been reading Dracula. For the fifth time. She feels her phone vibrate a few minutes later.

**Emma Swan 5:57 P.M.**  
Henry wants to stay over again.

**Regina Mills 5:58 P.M.**  
Ok.

She's not quite sure what she's agreeing to, but she finds that she doesn't mind. Besides, if Emma sleeps over again, it's not like she can't just sleep in her own bed.

**Emma Swan 5:59 P.M.**  
Plus, it’s not like my snuggles aren’t the greatest thing in the world.

Regina’s eyes run over the words, an unladylike snort slipping past her lips.

**Regina Mills 6:00 P.M.**  
I’m going to have to disagree.

**Emma Swan 6:05 P.M.**  
As if.

The brunette's brows furrow as she taps her nails against the glass of her desk.

**Regina Mills 6:06 P.M.**  
What?

**Emma Swan 6:10 P.M.**  
nvm

Regina rolls her eyes at the blonde's inability to hold a clear conversation.

**Emma Swan 6:11 P.M.**  
Sooooo, tomorrow night? It’s just that MM and David are getting really grossly affectionate these past 2 days and I’d really like to avoid walking in on anything not meant for my eyes, ya know?

**Regina Mills 6:12 P.M.**  
If that’s the case, come over tonight.

**Emma Swan 6:13 P.M.**  
Someone’s a bit eager.

**Regina Mills 6:15 P.M.**  
I do not want to risk Henry walking in on anything inappropriate. I don’t know why you won’t just let him stay here permanently. Your apartment isn’t even big enough for four people. And Henry’s getting too old to share a bed with his adult mother.

**Emma Swan 6:16 P.M.**  
You know how they say that when someone lies, they give an excess amount of false information. I'm an expert on liars. I feel it tingling in my toes.

**Regina Mills 6:17 P.M.**  
I’m not being false!

**Emma Swan 6:17 P.M.**  
Sure.

**Regina Mills 6:18 P.M.**  
Fine. Henry is welcome. But you are not.

She frowns as soon as she hits the send button, immediately regretting her words. It isn’t that she wants Emma to come over, no, it is because she knows that Emma will be more reluctant to leave Henry alone with her. It frustrates her to no end that even after fighting on their behalf, they don’t trust her with her own son. The son that was the only reason she was even trying to be a good person in the first place. The son that she wouldn’t even have to think about protecting with her own life. She feels her phone vibrate in her hand and the screen changes indicating that she’s receiving a call, with Emma’s name flashing across the screen. She brings the phone up to her ear and let out a small sigh before speaking.

“Miss Swan, I am—”

“You can’t say I can’t come,” Emma almost whines into the phone. At the blondes playful tone, Regina feels herself relax into her chair, and she lets out a low chuckle.

“Perhaps if you’re more accommodating,” she replies, running her fingers across the keys of her laptop. 

“And how do you suppose I do that?” Emma retorts. She can just feel how the blonde’s eyes roll from across town.

“Less… fraternizing.”

“See… The thing is, I don’t see you as the enemy anymore.”

“Good for you,” she responds.

“I know that you don’t either,” Emma insists.

“Careful, dear, you’re beginning to sound a lot like your mother,” Regina drawls. She hears Emma’s snort and slow exhale.

“You would just _love_ that, wouldn’t you?”

“If you really believe that, then I may have overestimated your intellect.”

“Well, hey, I didn’t know you thought I even _had_ an intellect.”

“A small one maybe,” she says with a smile. The younger woman’s laughter brings a blush to her cheeks.

“So, I can come over, right?” She hears the hesitation in Emma’s voice and she decides to tone down the teasing. She’s always been aware of Emma’s desire to be accepted, as much as she distanced herself emotionally when the annoying blonde had first come to town, she’d taken it upon herself to find out as much as possible about her. But, now what she’d found irritating in the beginning, she found endearing. “Regina?” she hears, the blonde’s voice shaking her out of her thoughts.

“Yes, of course,” she replies quickly. “I’ll see you tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one was short, which is why I updated so quickly. The next chapter will be updated sooner as well. I pinky swear.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of marital dubious consent. Nothing too descriptive though.

Emma rubs her eyes with the back of her hand and lets out a very audible yawn, much to Regina’s annoyance. 

“Miss Swan,” she stresses, eyeing the blonde over her book from her spot in the arm chair. The woman in question only looks at her with faux innocence. “Perhaps you should go to bed.” In response, Emma just stretches out even more on the couch, cracking her back in the process.

“Gimmie a break, Regina. I’ve had a long day,” she says, looking back at a rerun of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that Henry seems to be so immersed in from his spot on the floor. Usually, she would scold him for dragging the blankets on the ground and inform him that he would catch a cold, but she can’t find it in herself to do that. Not when everything is still so fragile between them.

Regina looks back up at Emma, and from the bored look on her face, Regina can only guess she’s seen this episode before. When Emma yawns again, Regina rolls her eyes.

“Go to bed, Emma.”

“Only if you come with,” she says, her brows waggling. Regina’s jaw clicks shut, her eyes narrowing before they flicker over to Henry. Emma only smirks and shrugs, propping herself up on her elbow, and settling on staring at Regina instead of the screen. The brunette feels her cheeks heat up, but she refuses to tear her eyes away from the book in her hand, even though she's long lost her spot on the page. “Are we going to have another slumber party?”

“No,” she responds in a dull tone. At that, Henry pipes up.

“Aren’t you guys a little _old_ to have slumber parties?” he comments dryly, ever Regina’s son. Dark eyes follow Emma’s hand as she reaches out and flicks their son on the ear. “Ow!” he shrieks, rubbing his ear.

“That’s what you get for calling me old.”

“Thanks for backing _me_ up,” Regina mutters. Emma hums.

“Technically, you’re like… 60,” she supplies. Regina narrows her eyes, which only results in the blonde laughing. Her eyes flicker over to Henry, who’s now watching her with amusement tinkling in his eyes, but underneath all of that, she see’s something else - something that she’s grown familiar with in the years following the day he was given that cursed book. A small nugget of fear that she’ll lash out at his other mother for insulting her. She wouldn’t of course, but it seems that Henry doesn’t know that. Maybe in the past, she would have already had Emma restrained to the wall, vines wrapping around her body, crushing her bones, but not anymore. She realizes that she’s grown… softened… She doesn’t need to be the Evil Queen anymore. Not with them. So she offers him a small smile, hoping that it’ll quell the fear within him. And it does, because his face breaks out in a beautiful grin and suddenly they’re both laughing along with Emma.

She feels it again: The easiness that comes along with being in their presence like this, and it confuses her. However, instead of lingering on that thought, she looks back up to Emma who’s giving her a teasing smile and she feels the blood rushing to her face once more. In that moment, she realizes she wants to spend the night with Emma. She _wants_ to stay up late, talking about whatever happens to come up, because she _enjoys_ spending time with her. 

Henry breaks her reverie by standing up and dumping the blankets onto the couch. 

“I’m going to bed,” he says, stretching out before toppling over onto Emma who catches him by the waist. Suddenly, Henry lets out a shrill laugh and Emma’s giggling as she tickles him.

“Emma,” she scolds, in a firm voice, “he won’t be able to sleep if you get him hyped up.” The laughter stops and Henry’s breathing heavily with a tired smile on his face. 

“Ya, mom,” he taunts, slipping out of her grasp and running upstairs. She watches Emma’s eyes light up and follow their son out of the room before she looks back at Regina, her expression sheepish. Regina forces a small smile and pretends not to care.

~

Later that night, when Emma ambles into Regina’s room and sits on the edge of her bed, Regina can’t find it in her to send her away.

“So, how old are you actually?” Emma asks, tilting her head.

“Does it matter?” Regina says, looking back down at her book.

“Not really.” 

“36.”

“Oh.” At that, the brunette looks up to see Emma looking at the duvet, her brows furrowed.

“Oh?” 

Emma shrugs in response.

“You’re only seven years older than Mary Margaret.” 

“And you,” Regina supplies, looking at the other woman curiously. Emma nods, seemingly deep in thought. “Where are you going with this?” Emma opens her mouth, preparing to speak but she closes it again, shaking her head.

“No where,” she says instead. Regina gives her a disbelieving look that Emma catches when she finally looks up at her. “I’m just… piecing some things together,” she offers. 

“Things?”

“How old were you when you got married?”

Oh. Those things. Regina looks down at her book, the letters blurring together.

It's been a while since thoughts of the King have come up. Along with that, came remembering her forced marriage and what that had entailed in the end: Daniel's death. All in all, those thoughts were never welcome inside her head, even if they did stay and linger many times. She feels her chest constrict painfully at the memories of stolen kisses and night's in the White Palace when she'd cried herself to sleep. In the first few years of marriage, she'd done it many times, the only occurrences where she forbid herself was in the presence of the King. But he never did stay long in her bedchambers, which was the only blessing she found relief in at the time. Once she'd acquired magic, she had used it to her advantage to disallow him from ever touching her again. Yet, even on those nights when he would enter her room and she would immediately put him to sleep, the price she had to endure was laying beside him until morning came. It had been excruciatingly difficult not to take advantage of the situation and smother him with a pillow, but she knew she couldn't do that without raising suspicion. She would have been arrested for treason and beheaded immediately. At least she'd given Snow a chance to blossom into Adulthood before she rid herself of the girl's insipid father, she thought bitterly. But it wasn't as if she'd done it for her benefit. She hadn't killed him prematurely because she never had a solid plan. Of course the Genie changed all that with his arrival.

“19,” she replies in a clipped tone.

“I’m sorry.” Regina’s gaze snaps back up to Emma’s inquiring eyes. “For… bringing it up.” Regina visibly softens at Emma's tone, as she tries to quell her dark thoughts.

“It’s… fine.” Not really.

“Do you want me to go?” she asks, her bright green eyes wide and apologetic. Regina really wishes she'd had more choices in the past. Here Emma was, offering her one.

“No,” the brunette responds. “You can stay.”

~

Regina wakes up to the sun shining through the window into her eyes. She curses herself for forgetting to close the curtains, and attempts to pull the covers up over her head. _Attempts_. As soon as she tugs at them, the unexpected force holding them down causes her hand to lose her grip and fly backwards, hitting herself in the face. She lets out a groan and rubs her nose, shifting to see Emma’s arm haphazardly thrown across her torso, her face buried in her pillow.

“Move over,” she grunts quietly, not loud enough to wake the slumbering woman beside her. She nudges her lightly, and lets out a sigh when the blonde shows no sign of being alive, other than her breathing. So, instead, she turns onto her side, pressing her butt into Emma’s hip with as much force as she can until she has her own space back, and smiles proudly to herself. 

Once she has her eyes covered and finds herself drifting off again, she feels the bed shift beside her, Emma’s ankle crossing over hers. She lets out a small sigh and falls back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify, I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are my own. Where do I pick up one of those anyway?


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Exams are coming up and I've been extremely busy.

The next few days are long and unending. Regina feels as though she can not get the right amount of sleep, no matter how early she goes to bed. She’s started to dread the end of the day when she has to go home, alone to the empty manor. It makes her want to beg Emma to bring Henry over. And if she’s being honest with herself, she wants Emma there too. Yet, despite that, she doesn't. It doesn't matter how much she tells herself that she doesn't care about what Emma thinks, she does. And she definitely does not want Emma knowing that she misses _them_ , not just Henry.

At night, when she’s lying in bed, the duvet pulled up to her chin and wishing for the warmth of another body, she can’t imagine anyone other than Emma by her side. 

Sometimes her mind wanders to Daniel, and what they could have had if he’d survived his “heart transplant” but she puts an end to those thoughts immediately, knowing that they’ll only lead her down a darker path. A path that ends up with her concocting new ways to murder Whale and make it look like an accident. She knows she can't because Henry wants- _needs_ \- her to be good. So, she tries.

Which is what she blames it on when she calls the Saviour at 6 p.m. on a Friday night. Luckily, Emma picks up on the second ring.

“Hi,” she says, and Regina can help but wonder if it’s relief that she hears in her voice.

“Hello,” Regina responds, not bothering to tamper the smile that blooms on her face at hearing Emma’s voice.

“What’s up?” Emma asks, and Regina realizes that she’s been silent for a moment too long.

“I was wondering if you’d had dinner yet,” the brunette says carefully.

“Umm… We’re just about to sit down actually. Mary Margret made pork chops.”

“Oh. That’s fine,” the brunette says with an air of indifference, trying to quell the disappointment she feels at the bottom of her heart. She hears shuffling on the phone and the sound of a door closing.

“Did you want us over?” Emma says in a quiet tone, accompanying the sound of bed springs squeaking, and Regina can just picture her plopping down on her bed, limbs flailing.

“No… It’s alright. It would have been nice to see Henry… That’s all.”

“And me, right?” Emma says teasingly, but her tone is still gentle. Regina scoffs, a natural response now to most of Emma’s suggestive questions. But her answer comes out of her without thought.

“Maybe…”

“We'll be by later than… Maybe I can beat Henry’s top score.”

“I doubt it.” Somehow, Regina knows, that Emma doesn’t care about the video game. “But, yes… I’d appreciate that.”

“Regina…” The line goes quiet for a while, and Regina waits with bated breath for her to continue. “I’ll see you later.”

“… Alright. Until tonight, Miss Swan.”

“Until tonight Queenie,” Emma throws back, and Regina can’t help but chuckle.

~

 

Regina wakes to the feeling of a hand wrapping around her wrist. It’s still dark out when she opens her eyes and she meets the hooded gaze of the woman beside her.

“Did I fall asleep?” she asks quietly,

“Yeah,” she hears being whispered across in the darkness. 

“You turned off the light,” she observes. Emma smiles a bit. 

“Always do,” she responds, shifting closer. They’re both laying on their stomachs, heads turned to face each other. Regina studies the other woman’s face, watching as her eyes blink sleepily at her with a tiny smile gracing her lips, and she can’t help but find it endearing. “You never answered my question,” Emma says, suddenly, snapping Regina gaze away from her lips.

“What question?”

“Henry’s first word.” Oh, yes. They’d been on the subject of Henry’s adoption. She figures Emma must have lead the topic away after she’d dozed off.

“Boy,” she responds after only a moment. Emma’s face scrunches up in confusion.

“Boy?”

“Well, yes… Contrary to popular belief, ‘mama’ isn’t always a baby’s first word. It’s usually whatever they hear the most… Considering I usually called him ‘my baby boy,’ it wasn’t really a surprise to me when he said that.”

“Oh,” Emma says, looking at her with a soft smile on her face.

“Granted I was so excited, I didn’t really care what he said specifically.”

“What if he’d said 'butt'?” Emma asks with a laugh.

“He wouldn’t have,” Regina bristles. 

“But what if?”

“… I still would have been proud.” Emma’s smile softens, her thumb brushing over the skin of Regina’s wrist.

“You raised him well,” she whispers, her eyes searching Regina’s face. Whatever she’s looking for, she seems to find it because her smile grows. “I’m happy that you were the one that raised him.” Regina feels a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s true… Everything that happened, good and bad… It happened for a reason. As stupid as it sounds, fate brought me and him back together… It brought me and you together.” At that, a flush takes over the blonde’s face, but she pushes on. “Tell me the truth, if you could go back, knowing what you know now, would you cast the curse again?” Regina thinks for a moment, looking away from Emma’s intense stare. 

“Yes,” she says quietly. “I wouldn’t have Henry if not for the curse.” I wouldn’t have known you like this either, she thinks, looking back into Emma’s eyes.

“Me too,” the younger woman whispers. Regina looks at her, confused. “I’d relive my crappy childhood, if I got to have him in my life.” Regina’s face falls. 

“It’s my fault…” She hates the way her voice wavers.

“I know,” the woman says seriously. Regina tugs at her wrist, but Emma’s grip only tightens. “I do know that… I know you’ve done a lot of questionable and shitty things… And I was so angry with you for so long... But I forgive you.”

“Why?” 

Emma shrugs. 

“Maybe it’s because you raised Henry, and maybe it’s because you’ve changed. I don’t know why. I just do.”

“Thank you,” she says in a small voice, after a moment of silence. Emma offers her a comforting smile, and she finds herself shifting closer to her. 

Not even ten minutes pass and Regina finds herself awake, staring at the face of a slumbering sheriff beside her. She shifts and feels Emma’s fingers tighten around her wrist, but she can’t find it in herself to care that her hold is too tight. Because to her, this contact grounds her. This seemingly insignificant hold offers her the comfort that she’s been craving from this woman for the last few weeks. So, no, she doesn’t feel like prying Emma’s fingers off of her and breaking their contact. Instead, she brings her hand up, consequently pulling Emma’s along as well, and rests her forehead against the Saviour's knuckles.

 

~

 

The feel of skin upon skin, makes her breath shudder in her chest as nails gently running down her sides.

“Please,” she hears herself whisper. When she dares to open her eyes, the image of golden curls cascading past pale shoulders is the sight that greats her. She feels the other woman trail a series of teasing kisses down her naked flesh and she cants her hips upwards, begging for release. Just the sight of her head nestled between her thighs has her moaning out loud. 

“Mom.”

What?

“Mom, are you okay?” Henry! He shouldn’t see this.

“Leave her alone, kid,” the woman in her bed says, but somethings not right. Her tone is different. Out of place in this situation.“What did you do to her?”

“N-nothing! I just came to wake her up.” The scene before her is shifting, darkening, and when Regina’s eyes snap open, she see’s Henry’s face looming over hers. 

“Mom!” he lets out, relief blooming over his face. “You’re okay,” he grins, throwing his arms around her neck. Regina blinks in confusion, moving to pull herself up into a seated position, her arms returning his embrace. 

“Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” she says, her voice scratchy from sleep. When Henry pulls away, she looks over to her right, at Emma, who’s cheeks are tinged with pink. Regina swallows at the realization that she just had an erotic dream about the woman sitting next to her.

“You sounded like you were having a nightmare,” her son says, looking up at her with a concerned expression. Regina softens and a smile spreads across her lips. 

“I’m alright, sweetheart,” she says, caressing his cheek. She sees the sparkle in his eye and her heart blooms at the look on his face.

“So… Are you in a good mood?” Henry asks, cheekily. She hears Emma snort beside her, but she ignores it, focusing on her son’s face. She raises a brow in response. “Does that mean I can have fruit loops?” he asks, practically bouncing on the edge of the bed. Regina lets out a small laugh and nods.

“Go ahead.” Henry lets out a ‘woop’ and rushes out of the room. “Don’t run down the stairs!” she calls after him as she hears him bounding down the steps. She can’t help but grimace at the thought of his socked feet slipping and missing a step.

“So…” she hears Emma say in a conspiratory tone. “Good dream?” A bright grin appears on her face. Regina narrows her eyes.

“Did Henry question why we were sleeping in the same bed?” she asks, ignoring her own embarrassment, even though she feels her cheeks flush.

“Uh, no… I kinda told him that I just came in here to wake you up,” Emma says, looking down with a guilty expression.

“That’s fine,” Regina says, throwing the covers back and climbing out of bed. She can feel Emma’s eyes on her back as she moves across the room, but she ignores it as she picks out her clothing for the day. “We can discuss our plans for the day during breakfast,” she offers, looking at Emma expectantly. The blonde woman only nods, eying the clothes she places on the bed with pursed lips. Regina stares at her, arms akimbo, while tapping her foot impatiently. 

“What?”

“I have to _change_.”

“By all means,” Emma smirks, gesturing with her hand.

“ _Out_.”

“Yes, mistress,” she sighs, dragging herself out of bed. Regina’s eyes trail down her bare legs and she breaths out forcefully. 

“And please wear pyjama bottoms when you wish to sleep under my roof,” she snips. Emma laughs, pausing with her hand on the doorknob.

“I didn’t hear you complaining before.”

“Well, I am now.”

“What about a few minutes ago in that dream you were having?” the sheriff says with a sinful expression. Regina scoffs. 

“What _are_ you talking about?” she bristles.

“Oh, I dunno… How about the ‘ _Oh, Emma!_ ’ I heard before Henry came running in?”

“I said no such thing! It wasn’t even about you!”

“So, you admit that you were having a sex dream.”

“What’s it to you?” Regina mutters, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Hm.” With a quirk of her brows, the blonde opens her door and slips out of the room, a cocky smirk stamped on her face. Regina doesn’t have to turn and look in the mirror to know that her face is the color of a ripe tomato.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually embarrassed about how long I took to update this story. I sincerely apologize. Life got in the way. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Unfortunately the characters are not.
> 
> Opp, and I don't mean to be a spoil sport but I may have changed the rating. Tehe.

     “So, who was it about?”

Oh, for Christ’s sake.

     “None of your concern,” Regina stresses, her wrist moving in quick circles as she whipped the batter for the waffles Emma had requested.

     “Oh, come _on_ ,” the woman in question says with an air of exasperation. “Is it gonna kill you to participate in a little girl talk?”

Regina raises a brow in response, skillfully glaring at the woman across the counter. “Perhaps not. But I’d rather not have this sort of discussion with my son just in the other room.”

     “Our son,” Emma off-handedly corrects, tilting her head forward to mimic the expression on the darker woman’s face. “And who cares? He’s not even paying attention.”

     “That’s besides the point. Although, you never know when he’s eavesdropping. He has a knack for it. As you well know,” she murmurs, shooting a looking in the general direction she thinks her son is in. Emma sighs at that and leads back in the bar stool, letting her head loll to the side. Regina can feel her studying her and it unnerves her, yet she ignores it. Or tries to at least.

     “Do you ever just let go a little?” the blonde woman asks, a thoughtful expression on her fair face. 

     “Depends on what your definition of letting go is…” she responds, sighing and finally looking up to meet Emma’s gaze.

     “How about we leave Henry with Mary Margaret for the night and you and I go out dancing?”Regina doesn’t mean to laugh in her face, but that’s what she ends up doing. “Absolutely not,” she says like it’s the only and most obvious answer there is. She doesn’t miss the way Emma’s face falls and she doesn’t like it. So, she decides to explain herself.

     “As much as the towns people distrust me, I still have a reputation to uphold seeing as they allowed me to keep my position as the mayor.”

     “That’s only because my parents aren’t great with politics in this world,” Emma supplies, nodding a bit. Suddenly, her face lights up with an idea. “What if we go out of town? Somewhere where no one would recognize you?”

Regina gives her a look that’s just shy of condescending. “I’m not about to drive for two hours just to go clubbing with you, Swan,” she comments dryly. Emma lets out a huff, making Regina smirk.

     “But why not?” she practically whines, “it’ll be fun! Don’t you want to have some fun?” Regina feels her stomach sink a little bit. She had thought that what they’d been doing lately, with all the group excursions, and, as Henry liked to call them, Menopausal Slumber Parties — she hadn’t been impressed — that they _had_ be having fun. She definitely did. But now it seemed as thought Emma hadn’t.

     “Dancing inebriated with a bunch of sweaty strangers is not my idea of fun,” she responds instead, her voice quiet compared to volume they’d been speaking at before. She ignores the fact that Emma’s frowning right now and decides to turn to the waffle iron and begins to pour the batter on the already hot surface, making sure she doesn’t allow it to run over the sides.

 

~

 

They end up checking into a hotel in Bangor that night and walking over to a gothic looking night club that Emma’d looked up on Google because apparently she can’t help but want to impress her. And if that means stepping out of her comfort zone to let Emma have her fun, then so be it.

Mary Margret had given her the strangest look when they had both dropped Henry off at the Charming’s apartment, but other than that she took him in without complaint and wished them a good night. 

     “Stay safe,” she’d told her adult daughter, making Emma shift uncomfortable and try not to roll her eyes at her 3 decade late mothering skills. The expression on Emma’s face had almost made Regina smile wickedly. Almost. But she didn’t because she didn’t want Snow’s curious glances to turn into death glares.

     “I’ll have a gin n’ tonic and she’ll have a… umm… apple martini,” Emma grins proudly. Regina suffocates the urge to grimace because she’s never liked apple martinis. They were much too sweet. 

     “How presumptuous,” Regina says as dryly as she can manage, despite the fact that she has to talk over the loud music pumping from the giant speakers behind them. Emma just shoots her a wink and Regina has to look away, out to the dance floor to hide the pink in her cheeks.

 

~

 

Two men offer to buy them shots, after dancing awkwardly for the first half hour, and for some reason they agree, smiling at each other secretly when they think they aren’t looking. Eventually they both end up on the dance floor again, reaching out for each other and slipping away from the men whose names they’d already forgotten. Regina doesn’t know how she ended up here, dancing with the Saviour, watching her pink lips as they mouth out the lyrics to the provocative songs that come on in succession. If anyone would have told her this would be happening a year ago, she would have laughed at their deluded claims and sent them packing.

     “Do you know the lyrics to _every_ song?” Regina yells out, grinning widely when Emma moves closer to hear her words. Emma’s cheek brushes against her own and Regina shivers, her hands resting on the blondes waist. 

     “Most of them, yeah,” Emma responds, seemingly unfazed as she pulls back just enough to look her in the eye. Regina’s breath hitches in her throat due to their close proximity and the fact that she now feels the other woman’s thigh between her legs.

The song changes and so does the rhythm of her hips. Her head is buzzing and her body feels much too warm but that doesn’t stop her from grinding her core down against the other woman, occasionally moving her hips from side to side in a lame attempt to disguise her need to relieve the pressure between her thighs. It’s gotten to the point that it physically aches now, and she lets out a gasp when Emma’s grip tightens on her waist and brings her closer. She doesn’t know how long they stay like that, but soon she’s shaking and gasping and Emma’s making these tiny sounds of encouragement, her firm thigh pressing up into her and her arms holding her up around her waist.

When they part from each other, her panties are throughly soaked and she can smell her own arousal despite the thick smell of sweat in the air.

 

~

 

They go back to the hotel, walking side by side, shivering slightly as their sweaty bodies cool in the night air. Neither of them talk about what happened. And Regina's glad for it because she doesn't really understand.

 


End file.
